From: Alan Lewine <alewine@dcez.com>
Date: Sat, 22 Jun 1996 06:29:42 +0800
To: Rich Graves <llurch@networking.stanford.edu>
Subject: Re: Oil Change software snoops through hard drive
In-Reply-To: <Pine.GUL.3.93.960620104638.4657A-100000@Networking.Stanford.EDU>
Message-ID: <31CA063E.350B@dcez.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


But this isn't MS's RegWiz. It's capabilities sound much greater, and 
it's not clear how to opt out, etc. from the press release:
<< Oil
Change reportedly tracks all currently installed versions and revisions
of all
Windows 95 software and hardware drivers on a PC, and then dials into
CyberMedia's Internet Web Server for related updates.>>
is this thing scary? I don't know. Does software like it have potential 
for abuse? Absolutely. Fear mongering? I don't think so. Just a Heads up.

Alan Lewine
------
Rich Graves wrote:
> 
> On Wed, 19 Jun 1996, Declan McCullagh wrote:
> 
> > Alan forwarded this to me. Thought it might be interesting. -Declan
> [..].]
> > Unanswered Qs:
> > 1) What other kinds of info does/can it troll for?
> > 2) What does it do when it finds unregistered software?
> > 3) Does it implicate ECPA?
> > 4) Will updates be available through other means?
> > 5) Must a user affirmatively grant permission to the software agent?
> > 6) Can a user decline or limit the agent's access?
> > 7) What uses may the agent's owner make of data collected?
> > etc.
> 
> Well, if you want definitive answers, use Stan Mitchell's File Monitor,
> ftp://ftp.ora.com/pub/examples/windows/win95.update/schulman.html#w95fmon> 
> But free to fear-monger in any case...
> 
> -rich